Scott L. Bramhall, 43, of Friendship was booked at 3:45 p.m. Friday at Knox County Jail on one count of sexual contact and one count of sexual touching, according to the jail log. He was released on $1,000 cash bail at 1:25 a.m. Saturday, according to the jail log.

On Thursday, Bramhall was indicted by a Knox County Superior Court grand jury, but the information was kept secret. A secret indictment remains sealed until the accused is arrested.

According to the indictment, Bramhall is charged with one count of unlawful sexual contact with the use of a knife and one count of unlawful sexual touching, also with the use of a knife, during the commission of the offenses. The sexual contact charge is a Class A felony and the sexual touching charge is a Class C felony.

According to Knox County Superior Court records, the mother of the victim sought a protection from harassment order March 7 against Bramhall, claiming he had physically threatened her 9-year-old daughter around the time of December school vacation. The mother stated in a court document that Bramhall was under investigation at that time for "contact of a sexual nature involving my 9-year-old daughter."

On March 23, Sixth District Court Judge Patricia Worth approved the protection order, ruling that Bramhall had harassed the child. She prohibited Bramhall from any contact with the plaintiff.

The indictment alleges the offenses occurred on or about Jan. 6 in Friendship.

Conditions of Bramhall's bail include no contact with children under age 16 with the exception of his own two children, no contact with the victim, and being prohibited from going to the victim's school or residence. Bramhall is to have no use or possession of alcohol, illegal drugs or dangerous weapons and is subject to random search and testing for the same.

Bramhall is a former reserve police officer for the Damariscotta and Waldoboro police departments and a former Maine School Administrative District 40 truant officer, among other law enforcement affiliations. He was arrested earlier this year in Lincoln County on a sex charge that was later dropped by the district attorney's office.

On March 13, District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau announced that he would not prosecute that case.

At that time, Rushlau said, "The prosecution is required to establish compulsion in order to prove a crime under the statute implicated by this investigation. The evidence available at this time does not prove compulsion to the very high standard required in a criminal case. Our decision to decline prosecution must not be interpreted as a statement that the reported sexual conduct was consensual. Our decision instead is a consequence of the process of evaluation for every criminal case, in which the state always carries a very high burden and the accused has no burden at all."

"As in many investigations this case should not be considered closed finally," said Rushlau in mid-March. "If significant new information becomes available, the case will be reevaluated."

"Our review process included both the original reports and videotaped interviews, and a follow-up meeting with the teenager who reported the event," Rushlau said in a press release. "Based upon the entire review, we conclude that a fact-finder would have a reasonable doubt about the guilt of Scott Bramhall, and the prosecution is therefore declined."

Former Waldoboro Reserve Police Officer Scott Bramhall, 44, of Friendship was acquitted in Knox County Superior Court on Feb. 21 of unlawful sexual contact and unlawful sexual touching, both with use of a dangerous weapon against a nine-year old girl. The incident was alleged to have occurred on or around Jan. 6, 2007 in Friendship. Justice Jeffrey Hjelm found Bramhall not guilty.

The Knox County Sheriff's incident report stated that Bramhall had used a knife to subdue the nine-year old girl, one of his daughter's friends who happened to be visiting Bramhall's daughter at his residence.

At a Knox County District Court Hearing on March 23, 2007, Bramhall took the stand but pled the fifth-amendment, which guarantees one's right not to testify against oneself.

Attorney for the Plaintiff Patrick Mellor asked: "Do you have a history of sexual relationships with minors, Mr. Bramhall?"

District Judge Patricia Worth: "I I assume, Mr. Cohen [Philip Cohen, Attorney for the Defendent] he makes the same answer?"

Cohen: "Yes, your honor."

Judge: "All right. Well, he doesn't have to answer that question either, Counsel."

Mellor: "Well, I'll go down through my questions then, your Honor, and see if there are any that the Court believes he should have to answer."

In February 2007, Bramhall was also arrested for unlawful sexual contact with a 16-year-old boy in Waldoboro. District Attorney Geoff Rushlau declined to prosecute the case, saying at the time that the state carries a "very high burden" of proof and the accused no burden at all.

"The evidence available at this time does not prove compulsion to the very high standard required in a criminal case. Our decision to decline prosecution must not be interpreted as a statement that the reported sexual contact was consensual," said Rushlau.

Bramhall worked for the Waldoboro Police Department from 1987-1989. He later served as a reserve patrol officer in Damariscotta from 2000-2005. He completed the Drug Abuse Resistance Program in late 2003 and became Damariscotta's DARE officer at Great Salt Bay School. At that time he also served as a truant officer for local school districts including SAD 40. He was also Director of Youth Services for Youth Promise of Lincoln County.